Ownership of guns earns wealth, respect

THE ownership of sophisticated firearms is one way of gaining wealth and respect and the National government’s proposal to disarm firearms in Hela province will not completely eradicate the trouble warfare.
The weapons disposal initiative was taken by the former Somare Government who appointed retired Brigadier-General Jerry Singork to spearhead the programme and it has not worked out.
Appropriate action should be taken to disarm firearms.
Guess who is purchasing the guns for the villagers? The current MPs and the intending candidates who want to win the coming elections are supplying guns.
When the gunman orders innocent voters to cast their votes to the supplier of the gun, nobody will turn away. The ownership of gun has created wealth and riches in the Highlands region and the proposal for disarmament is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Previously, our country was using dollar, pigs, stone axes, kina shells and other traditional elements to gain prestige.
But now, in the modern era, ownership of gun has played a pivotal role in the entire Highlands region.
A person who owns more than one gun is called leader in parts of Highlands.
When it is time for making decisions at the village level, whether the decision is right or wrong, the gunman has the final say and nobody will oppose it.
I have read on the daily paper that a single shot gun with a lot of homemade and bush knives were handed to two discipline forces and people are still using sophisticated weapons and its ridicules.
Unfortunately, when the special call-out ends, the tension will build up again and many lives will be lost.
It’s a shortsighted proposal.
The elected leaders are not new to their villages, they actually know who owns what kinds of gun and they are the ones responsible for disarming, not the two discipline forces.
The MPs should be too close to them, initiate special projects for them so that they will keep themselves busy, change their mindsets and become better people in their societal settings.
A saying that goes around in Highlands regions “when you feed a pig from a far distance it will turn around and bite you but when you feed a pig by your hand it will become your friend”.
Why not the mandated leaders go to their own men instead of deploying discipline forces to trouble zones?
Moreover, churches must be encouraged to be erected in the trouble zones with the full funding from the Government.
Human beings were created by God and if they are taught about the right way of living and about eternal life, they will transform for the better.
The disposal of firearms will only work out when the mindsets of people are occupied with good things.

Jeffsatu Lypin Lokait
Port Moresby